A Sufi Study of Hadith.pdf

A SUFI STUDY ofHADITH

Haqiqat al-Tariqa min as-Sunna al-Aniqa Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanawi

TRANSLATED BY SHAYKH YUSUF TALAL DELORENZO

A SUFI STUDY of~ADITH

A SUFI STUDY ofHADITH ijaq'iqat al-Tar'iqa min al-Sunna al- '.Jln'iqa

MAWLANA ASHRAF cALI THANAWI

Translated by

Shaykh Yusuf Talal Delorenzo

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Author Translation Editor Referencing Trans. references General editor Proofreading Indexing

Mawlana Ashraf ~li Thanawi Shaykh Yusuf Talal Delorenzo Yusuf Arvasi Usman Madani, Deoband (India) Ibrahim Amin Yahya Batha Muhammad Ansa, Uthman Ibrahim-Morrison Uthman Ibrahim-Morrison

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Thanawi, Ashraf ~li Siifi Study of I::Iadith: Jfaqfqat al- Tarfqa min al-Sunna al- '.Jlnfqa 1. Title

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For My Sheikh Mawlana Mubammad Yusuf Binnori, at whose behest I translated this work.

May Allah illuminate his resting place and elevate his status in Jannah. Amin.

Contents

TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION 11

The Nature of Islamic Education in the Subcontinent 12 The Place of Tariq a in the Madrasa System of Education 12

Mawlana 5 Writings 13 Mawlanas Perception ofTa~awwuf 14

I;IAQiQAT AL-TARiQA: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAY

The Essence of Inner Conduct 15 Ta~awwuf and the Study of lfadUhs 17 Ta~awwuf Related Commentary on lfadUhs 17

Mawlanas Works of Commentary on lfadUhs 18

AUTHOR'S PREFACE 23

AUTHOR'S INTRODUCTION 25

CONCLUSION 283

INDICIES 285

Translator's 1ntroductiorL

M AWLANA ASHRAF 'ALi THANAWi was born in the village of Thana Bha-wan, not far to the south of Delhi, in the Indian district of Muzaffar Nagar, in the year 1863. He had his early schooling in the same village and, at age thirteen or fourteen, began his formal education a few miles away at the institution known as Dar al-cUlum at Deoband with some of the most gifted scholars of Islam ever to appear in the subcontinent.'

By the age of twenty-one, Mawlana Thanawi had satisfied his teachers of his facility with the classical disciplines of Islam and was graduated. In that year he became a teacher at Kanpur2 and, by written recommendation of his teacher at Deoband, Mawlana Rashid Gangohi, was accepted as a spiritual disciple to Haji 'Imdad Allah, the sheikh of the Chishti order of Sufis who had sought refuge in Makka after the unsuccessful attempt to dislodge the British imperialists from India in 1857. At the end of his twenty-first year, Mawlana Thanawi himself went to Makka to perform the I:Iajj, and to benefit from the spiritual care of his sheikh.3

On his return to Kanpur, Mawlana Thanawi busied himself with teaching and writing, alongside his spiritual exercises of dhikr and shughal, until the latter compelled him to seek once again the companionship of his sheikh at Makka. Thus, he traveled a second time to Makka where he remained for several years in the company of Haji '1m dad Allah. Shortly after Mawlana Thanawi returned to Kanpur in 1897, Haji 'Imdad Allah wrote to him with the following instructions:

1 Sheikh Mul).ammad 'Ikram, Mawj-e-Kawthar, Urdu (Lahore, Pakistan: Idara-e-Thaqafat-e-Islamiyya, 1975), p. 204

2 Ibid., Mawlana Thanawi taught at both the Fayd-e-'Am Madrasa and at Madrasa Jami' al-'Uhlm in Kanpiir over a period of some fourteen years.

3 Sayyid Sulayman Nadwi, Yiid-e-Raftagiin, Urdu (Karachi, Pakistan: Maktaba al-Sharq, 1955) p. 284.

11

12 A SUFI STUDY OF I;IADITH

It is better that you go back to Thana Bhawan. In fact, I hope that a great multitude of people will benefit from you both spiritually and academically. There, you shall bring our mosque and madrasa back to life.

On this auspicious note, Mawlana left Kanpur and returned to his native Thana Bhawan. True to the hopes of his sheikh, Mawlana Thanawi revived the mosque and the madrasa at Thana Bhawan and, for the next fifty years benefited the academic and spiritual lives of multitudes of subcontinent Muslims.

The Nature of Islamic Education in the Subcontinent It is essential at this juncture that the reader understands something of the nature of the training and education received by Mawlana Thanawi. In fine, the ideal advanced by Islam with regard to the education and upbringing of the individual Muslim is the achievement of moral and spiritual equilibrium. The Qur'an says:

"We have established you as a middlemost nation" (2:143). Thus, the objectives of the founders of Dar al- 'Uhim at Deoband included the blending of book learn-ing with character building, of Sharra with tariqah, of the fiqh of Abu Hanifa with authentic Qadlth, of the opinions of the pious predecessors with the revivalist scholars of succeeding ages and so on, in an attempt to tread a middle path between the various Islamic intellectual and spiritual trends and schools of thought.

As the Shari'a and knowledge of the Qur'an and the Sunna are the basis of all Islamic intellectual activity, the emphasis at Dar al-'Ulum was on the teaching of the classical Islamic disciplines, beginning with Arabic grammar and proceed-ing with increasing complexity through subjects like rhetoric, logic, philosophy, jurisprudence, theology, and the sciences of the Qur'an and the Sunna. While the student was engaged in the acquisition of these subjects, he was subjected to a rigorous daily schedule of classroom attendance, group-study sessions, and congregational worship in the mosque. Nearly all students boarded in the madrasa hostels or in the homes of their teachers, and there was very little time for leisurely pursuits.

The Place of Tariq a in the Madrasa System of Education During the period of study (ta~~il, or aquisition), however, only the formal and essential modes of worship were encouraged. Nonetheless, it was carefully impressed upon the students that after graduation they were to seek the spiritual guidance of an accomplished sheikh. Nor were the students encouraged to prefer one tariqa to another. The important thing in the selection of a sheikh was his adherence to the Shari'a.4

4 For Mawlana Thanawi's own teaching on the subject see his Qa~d al-Sabl/, "The Third Teaching."

Translator's Introduction 13

Indeed, to the (Ulama of Deoband the value of ta~awwuf was in its translat-ing knowledge into action, and learning into deeds. One did not pledge alle-giance to a sheikh in order to become a Sufi, but in order to become a practising Muslim. It was not escapist mysticism that the (Ulama' of Deoband were seeking for their students, but the way to i1:zsan or the complementary inner state which gives depth and added meaning to the outer state of Islam. Essentially, the reviv-alist movement that began in Deoband and which aimed at remedying excesses in Indian Muslim society, was propelled by a group of scholars who added emo-tional fervor in their practice of Islam to their deep understanding of its sources and principles. It was in this atmosphere oflearning and devotion that Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawl grew and prospered.

Mawlana's Writings Mawlana Thanawi's most obvious contribution to the Muslim community of the subcontinent was his incredible output of literature on Islamic subjects.

JaW aI-Din SUyUtl (d. 911 AH) is generally known as the most prolific author in the history of Islamic scholarship, and his writings are numbered at over five hundred.5 Mawlana Thanawi's writings have been variously numbered between six and eight hundred.6 In addition, he maintained a voluminous daily corre-spondence with his khalifahs and murlds, and his published lectures and public addresses number in the hundreds. Moreover, Mawlanas gifted disciples under-took hundreds of other works at Mawlana's insistence, and with his guidance, so that any definite accounting of the number of his works is next to impossible.

The subject matter of Mawlanas works included all the classical Islamic dis-ciplines. Mawlanas Bayan al-Quran, in three volumes, is undoubtedly the most erudite of all commentaries on the Qur'an in the Urdu language. At the other end of the spectrum of Qur'anic scholarship, Mawlanas Jamal al-Quran became the standard textbook for students of tajwid, or the science of Qur'anic recitation, throughout the subcontinent; and remains so to this day. Mawlanas other works on the various Qur'anic sciences are as numerous as they are instructive.

Likewise, Mawlana Thanawl wrote with authority on subjects like 1:zadith,fiqh, 'u~ul al-fiqh, 'aqidah, logie, philosophy, rhetoric, grammar, and much else. In the field of ta~awwuf, however, the Mawlanas writings are particularly interesting for their scholarship and variety. Among the works which best represent the breadth

5 JaW ai-Din SUyii\j, Fihrist Kutub al-Suyiiti (Madras, Ma\ba' al- 'Aja'ib, 1379 AR). See also 'Umar Ri

14 A SUFI STUDY OF J:lADiTH

of his vision are his Sirat-e-I:Iallaj, a biography of Man~t1r al-I:Iallaj and an expo-sition of his teachings on ta~awwuf, Sharl:z Fu~u~ al-I:Iikam, Kalid-i-Mathnawi,

clrfan-e-Haji?-, Masa'il-e-Suluk, al-Takashshuf, and al-Tasharruf These latter two works will be the subject of detailed discussion later on in this introduction.

Mawlanas Perception ofTa~awwuf There is no denying the importance of Mawlanas written work. Yet, of no less importance to the Muslims of the subcontinent was Mawlana Thanawi's spiritual guidance. It had become a lamentable fact oflife in India that ta~awwufhad degen-erated to such a degree that there was little to distinguish a yogi from a Sufi. The tariqas, or Sufi orders had become social clubs and sources of income for the cho-sen few. Indeed, in most orders khilafah or spiritual leadership had become a mat-ter of inheritance, like the feudal lordship, which was the bane of Indian society.

Mawlana Thanawi's contribution was to re-establish in the public mind the connection between Sharta and tariqa. This he accomplished to a certain extent in his writings. However, the real breakthrough in this potent field for the reform of the individual and society was made by Mawlana Thanawi, the sheikh and murshid, not by Mawlana Thanawl, the author and scholar.

The difference should be easy to understand. It is one thing to spread the word, and another thing entirely to be an example of the living word. Mawlana Ashraf ~li Thanawl went a step further. As the result of his attention and guidance, scores of others themselves became living examples of the word of Islam and, in turn, influenced hundreds and thousands of Muslims. The register of Mawlana Thanawi's spiritual successors (khalifahs) includes some of the most accom-plished, learned, pious, and spiritually influential Muslims of the century.?

In bringing the Islamic ideal of equilibrium to the field of spiritual guidance, Mawlana Thanawl established a number of criteria for his disciples. To begin with, all disciples were classified as belonging to one or another of the following four categories:8 (1) scholar and Single, (2) non-scholar and single, (3) scholar and married, (4) non-scholar and married.

The reasons for such a division would have to do with the kind of opportunity a disciple had for attention to spiritual disciplines and exercises and the kind of understanding he/she brought to them. What is Significant is the Mawlanas acceptance of the circumstances and responsibilities of his followers, and his attempt to reasonably accommodate all those interested in pursuing a spiritual relationship. Thereafter, disciples were classified as possessing limited, average,

7 For a complete list of Mawlana's Khalifahs, see: Munshi 'Abd al-RaJ:tman Khan, op. cit., p. 648-655 8 See Qa~d al-Sabil, op. cit.


or advanced abilities, and for each group separate sets of disciplines and exer-cises, as well as reading matter, were prescribed.9

One exceptionally lucid work, also entitled ijaqiqat al-tariqa, or The Truth About the Way, was required reading for all of Mawlanas disciples at the time of their entering the Sufi order.

As this work is quite brief, and yet sheds a good deal of light on Mawlana Thanawl's teachings, it is translated here into English for the benefit of the reader.

ijAQIQAT AL-TARIQA: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WAY

The Essence of Inner Conduct 1. Neither kashf (visions) nor kariimah (minor miracles) are required or

expected. 2. On the Day of Judgment no one (other than yourself) will be responsible

for your salvation. 3. There is no promise that your worldly affairs will improve (as a result of

your becoming a disciple of this Sufi order), or through your tying talis-mans or charms around your necks, or that you will win court cases, or have an increase in income, or be cured of disease, or be granted knowl-edge of what is in the future.

4. Your behaviour will not be reformed merely through the attentions of your sheikh, nor will you cease to think evil thoughts. You will not auto-matically engage in worship without even having to resolve to do so. And your knowledge and understanding of the Qur'an and Islam will not nec-essarily register any sort of increase.

5. There is no promise that you will attain any inner spiritual states, or even that you will find pleasure in the performance of worship or spiritual exercises, or that you will not be beset by alien thoughts while in worship. There is no guarantee that you will wash your sins away with your tears of remorse.

6. In your performance of spiritual exercises you need never see mystic lights or hear voices from the Unseen.

7. You may never have a sublime or meaningful dream or receive guidance from above.

On the contrary the real objective is to please the Almighty, and the way to achieve this objective is by complete adherence to the Shari'a.

9 See Thanawi's al-Takashshuf 'an muhimmat al-ta~awwuf (Lahore: Sajjad Publishers, 1960) p. 30.

16 A SUFI STUDY OF I:IADITH

Certain of the precepts of the Sharl'a have to do with the believer's outer state, like prayer, fasting, l).ajj, zakah, marriage, divorce, discharging marital responsi-bilities, oaths and their expiation, buying and selling, legal procedures and giving witness, bequests, inheritance, meeting and socializing, greeting and entertain-ing, and so on. Knowledge of these matters is termed jiqh.

Certain others have to do with the inner state, such as one's love for the Almighty, awe of Him, remembrance of Him, acceptance of His decree, or one's decreasing love of the worldly, or lack of greed, or being conscientious in wor-ship, or sincere in religious matters, or one's lack of contempt for others, or lack of conceit, or having control over one's temper, and so on. These matters are termed su[itk, or inner conduct.

Then, in the same way that a Muslim is to obey the rules of jiqh in his/her outward behaviour, he/she must also obey the rules of inner conduct. Moreover, it is usually as a result of some inner imbalance that irregularities occur in one's behaviour or practice of Islam. For example, a decrease in love for the Almighty might result in a lack of attention to daily prayers, or to one's saying them hur-riedly. Likewise, as a result of avarice, one might not give zakah or go on I:Iajj. Or, owing to one's self-aggrandizement, or to one's inability to check one's anger, one may commit injustice on another or usurp his/her rights. Even if one were to recognise one's fault, and then take care to correct it, the fact remains that unless some sort of inner rectification takes place, one will be sure to lapse in one's efforts to correct the problem.

Thus, for the above reasons, it should be obvious that the rectification of inner conduct is essential. Yet, the problem is that inner ailments are difficult to detect and, even if they are detected, it is no easy matter to prescribe a proper cure for them. In fact, even if the cure were to be known, the taking of the medicine is nearly always distasteful.

For these reasons an accomplished sheikh is required; one who will be able to recognise and diagnose such spiritual maladies and then prescribe for them the appropriate cure. Moreover, the sheikh should have the power to create within his disciple the ability to rectify himself/herself. For this purpose, the sheikh will require the disciple to engage in certain spiritual exercises and disciplines, such as dhikr, which in itself is a form of worship.

Basically, then, the disciple will have to do two things. The first is essential, and that is that he/she will have to adhere to the inner and outer precepts of the Shari'a. The second is recommended, and that is that he/she engages in much dhikr. The result of the first will be the attainment of Allah's pleasure, and close-ness to Him; while the result of the second will be increase in Allah's pleasure and closeness to Him.


This, then, is the essence of the way to inner conduct, and its essential objec-tives.lO

Ta~awwuf and the Study of lfadlths From the foregoing, the reader will have gained a clear understanding of the kind of ta~awwuf taught and practised by Mawlana ThanawL Further insight into his perceptions in general about ta~awwuf may be had from the author's own introduction to this volume, and to his numerous works on the subject. Yet, however one may attempt to characterize Mawlana Thanawl's brand of ta~awwuf, by calling it reformist, fundamentalist, puritanical, or whatever, the fact is that it was, above all, Shari'a oriented. As the second source of the Shari'a of Islam, the 1).adiths of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, playa tremen-dously important role in defining and clarifying the principles and practices of

ta~awwuf It was for this reason that Mawlana Thanawi turned his attention to writing ta~awwuf related commentary on 1).adith literature.

Ta~awwuf Related Commentary on lfadlths It is interesting to note, furthermore, that the early Sufi writers, if ever they did comment on 1).adiths, did so only in the context of their discussion of other sub-jects. Thus, while the classical Sufi writers like al-Qushairi, al-Mu1).asibi, Abu Talib al-Makki and al-GhazzaH may have quoted profusely from 1).adith litera-ture, they never wrote separate works of commentary on 1).adiths.

In fact, the reputation of Sufis with regard to 1).adiths is somewhat tarnished. The reason for this, of course, was the admission by several well-known Sufis that they had actually fabricated 1).adiths and then ascribed them to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, albeit with the best of intentions. Ibn Nu'aym's lfilyat alitwliya' contains several examples of such Sufi-narrators, as do most of the works on mawgu'at or spurious 1).adiths, and the works devoted to gu'afa', or the biographies of weak and unreliable narrators.

At the same time, some of the greatest scholars of1).adiths were themselves Sufis of one order or another. I:Iadith masters like Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, AbU Tahir al-Silafi and others come immediately to mind. Later on, 1).adith schol-ars of the calibre of al-Nawawi, al-Suyiiti, and al-'Iraqi were renowned as Sufis. Indeed, Hindustan had a tradition of producing Sufi scholars of 1).adiths, like al-$aghani, Sheikh 'Abd al-I:Iaqq Mu1).addith Dehlawi, Shah WaH Allah, Sheikh Tahir al-Pattani, Shah 'Abd al-'Aziz, and many others. In fact, of Sheikh Nizam al- 'Awliya, perhaps the most famous of all Indian Sufis, it was written that he had

10 Mawlana Thanawi, op. cit., p. 33-39.

18 A SUFI STUDY OF I;fADITH

not only read al-$aghani's collection of 1).adIth entitled Mashariq aI-Anwar, but that he had committed the entire work to memory as well."

Certainly, the 'Ulama of Deoband were the inheritors of this tradition. Mawlana Ya'qiib, Mawlana GangohI, Mawlana Qasim NanautwI, Sheikh aI-Hind, Mawlana Anwar KashmIr!, Mawlana MadanI, and Mawlana Thanawl himself were all examples of Sufi mu~addithin. Finally, scores if not hundreds of Maw lana Thanawi's students found fame as scholars of the 1).adIth sciences.

Mawlana 5 Works of Commentary on J:Iadiths It is in the works of Mawlana Thanawl alone, of all the scholars mentioned in the paragraphs above, that we find works exclusively devoted to ta~awwuf related commentary on 1).adith texts. Among these works are the present vol-ume, J:Iaqiqat al-tariqa min al-sunna al- 'aniqa, or The Truth About the Way from the Refined Sunna. In the interest of both brevity and clarity, this title has been revised by the translator to A Sufi Study of J:IadUhs. This work is actually a part of a much larger work entitled al-Takashshuf 'an muhimmat al-ta~awwuf or Reveal-ing the Important Aspects of Ta~awwuf Another work of Mawlanas commentary is entitled al-Tasharruf bi ma'rifah a~adUh al-ta~awwuf Before discussing these two books, however, it will be useful to note another important point.

In the monthly magazine of his Sufi order, al-Hadi, Mawlana published a short article entitled "A Notice Regarding the Removal of Ambiguity Concern-ing Masa'il al-Ta~awwuf, al-Takashshuf, and al-Tasharruf," in which he wrote:

Ta~awwuf is a name for the development of the inner and outer aspects of the individual, and there is not a single Qur'iinic verse or J:!adith text which is not in some way related to it. So, in every verse, and in every J:!adith, one or another mat-ter having to do with ta~awwuf is sure to be mentioned. However, in these works I have dealt only with those matters which are directly related with what is obvi-ouslya question of ta~awwuf, and that is how I have made selections ofJ:!adiths on which to comment. I2

Both al-Tasharruf and J:Iaqiqat al-tariqa are collections of selected 1).adiths in which the original Arabic texts are reproduced alongside their Urdu translations, traced to their sources of origin among the major classical collections of1).adiths, and then commented upon, in Urdu, for their ta~awwuf content. Furthermore, in J:Iaqiqat al-tariqa, the chapter headings are given in Persian.

11 Mir Khurd, Siyar al-'Aw/iya', Urdu trans. by Tjaz al-Haqq Quddlls1 (Lahore: Markazi Urdu Board, 1980) p. 206.

12 ai-Had!, Rabi' II, 1352 AH.


The classical collection upon which Ifaqiqat al-tariqa is based is Taysir al-wu~ul 'ilii a~adith !iim{ al-'U~ul, by al-Shaybani, which is itself an abridgement of the !iim{ al-'U~ul by al-Jaza'iri. Moreover, the order of the l:ladiths selected for commentary in Ifaqiqat al-tariqa follows the order of that work. These l:ladith are taken almost exclusively from the ~i~ii~ al-sittah, or the six most authentic orthodox collections. Thus, Mawlana Thanawi never deals with the subject of the authenticity of the l:ladiths he selected for inclusion in Ifaqiqat al-tariqa. The publisher of this trans-lation, however, has deemed it appropriate to provide such information in order to quell doubts or reservations about the provenance of the l:ladiths in this volume.

It may be appropriate to mention that this work seems to have been written especially for inclusion in the larger work, al-Takashshuf, as the date given at the end of both works is 1327.'3 It will not be out of place, therefore, to take a brief look at al-Takashshuf

To begin with, al-Takashshuf was not designed as a separate work. It is, rather, a collection of shorter works brought together for the purpose of pro-viding Mawlanas disciples with a basic reader in the most important aspects of

ta~awwuf The book is, moreover, divided into three parts for disciples oflimited, average and advanced abilities.

Part One of al-Takashshufhas thirty pages, Part Two has fourteen, and Part Three has six hundred and seventy pages. Furthermore, in his introduction to the work, Mawlana recommends that the book be used as a text in formalles-sons, rather than merely read in solitude. Thus, it is clear that the book embod-ies the most essential, as well as many of the most advanced and sensitive, of Mawlanas teachings about ta~awwuf

As to its contents, the first two parts of al-Takashshuf include extracts from several of Mawlana's works. The contents of the third part, for disciples of advanced ability, include the following works:

1. al-Anwiir wa al-tajalli (abridged). This is a short philosophical discourse, in Arabic and Persian, on the levels of existence and the comprehensive-ness of human beings.

2. al-Futu~ fi mii yataCallaq bi al-ru~: a short treatise on the human soul. 3. Masii'il al-Mathnawi: a discussion of the important ta~awwuf related cou-

plets in the Mathnawi of Mawlana Riimi. 4. cIrfiin-e-Ifii.fi~: a commentary on the points of ta~awwuf raised in the

poetry of the Diwiin of I:Iafi~ Shirazi, from the beginning of the collection to the radif al-diil.14

13 Thanawl,op. cit., p. 31 and p. 698. 14 Radif, in Arabic, Persian and Urdu poetry, refers to the consonance of a poem's rhyme. It is the

20 A SUFI STUDY OF I;IADiTH

5. lfaqiqat al-tariqa: ta~awwuf related commentary on D.adiths of the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace.

6. al-Nukat al-daqiqa fi ma yata'allaq hi al-lfaqiqa: a discussion of the legal authority for certain practices of the Sufis which are not expressly men-tioned in the Qur'an or the Sunna.

7. Ta'yid al-lfaqiqa hi al- 'iiyat al-'atiqa: commentary on selected verses of the Qur'an which touch upon ta~awwuf related subjects.

Let us now consider the second work, al-Tasharruf To begin with, al-Tashar-ruf was not written as a separate work. Rather, over a period of ten years, from 1343 to 1353 AH (1925-1935 CE), it appeared as a monthly feature in the Urdu language journal, al-Hadi. Thereafter, the material was collected and published in a single volume.

Essentially, the work is based on other works of D.adith, and is composed of four parts, as outlined below:

1. Ta~awwuf based commentary on selected D.adiths from Zayn aI-Din al-'Iraqi's Takhrij a~adith al- 'Ihya', which is itself a work in which the D.adiths quoted by al-Ghazzali in his 'I~ya' 'ulum ai-din are traced to their sources and authenticated by al-'Iraqi.

2. Ta~awwufbased commentary on the D.adiths mentioned by Mawlana Rumi in the Mathnawi.

3. Ta~awwufbased commentary on D.adiths mentioned by al-Sakhawi in his al-Maqa~id al-lfasana.

4. Ta~awwuf based commentary on D.adiths in the Jami' al-$aghir by Jalal aI-Din al-Suyiiti.

Those familiar with these works will know that they include all manner ofD.adiths. It is well known that al-Ghazzali was not a D.adith scholar, and his 'I~ya' includes much that is doubtful and even spurious. IS Likewise, the poetic license used in the Mathnawi may well be said to include the D.adiths it quotes or refers to, as

repetition of the last ryhming word or vowel in any rhyming scheme, most notably used in the Persian and Urdu ghazal.

15 'Abd al-'Azjz al-Khawlj, Miftii~ al-Sunna (Beirut: Dar al-Qalam, 1974) p. 162. However, Imam al-Ghazzalj knew he was not a scholar of i).adjths. Yet, the way in which ayats and i).adlths are quoted to establish a point in the 'I~yii' is first an ayat or ayats, then ~a~f~, ~asan, and so on. So the latter though weak do not function as proof but are only included for corroboration. Much the same way that the Mawlana uses i).adlths in his work. As he himself said: "In fact, the great majority of Sufi sayings believed popularly to be the words of the Messenger have equivalents, at least in meaning, in the authentic i).adlths of the Mes-senger. Therefore, to generalise about the Sufis narrating and popularising spurious material in the name of i).adlths is decidedly unfair and unwarranted."


well. Finally, both al-Maqa~id al-ijasana and al-Jam{ al-$aghtr are collections of popularly quoted }:ladiths and, almost by definition, include what is authentic and what is not.

Nevertheless, Mawlanas treatment of these }:ladiths was to compare their import with the established principles of the Shari'a. If the meaning was accepta-ble, and if the }:ladith scholars had not rejected the }:ladiths outright, then Mawlana included it among the }:ladiths of al-Tasharruf for commentary. In terms of their content, however, the two books are quite similar. Thus, a reading of this volume will provide the reader with a very good idea of what the other book is all about.

What follows is an English translation of ijaqtqat al-tartqa. Moreover, it is hoped that the information provided in this brief introduction will suffice as a starting point for the reader who is perhaps unfamiliar with the works of Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi. I have little doubt that such readers, and all those interested in the subject of ta~awwuf will want to look deeper into Mawlana's works after reading what he has written in the pages that follow.

This, then, has been a brief introduction to one aspect of the works of Maw lana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawi, may Allah grant him mercy everlasting! Indeed the scope for serious work on the subject of his life, or on any aspect of his works, is vast indeed.

In closing, I should like to record my debt to my teacher, Mawlana Mu}:lammad YllsufBinnori, himself a great mubaddith and faqth, as well as a Mujaz-e-$ubbat6 from Mawlana Thanawi himself. It was a great personal blessing to have had the opportunity to read the }:ladiths in this volume with Mawlana Binnori and it was at his direction, and with his encouragement, that I undertook this translation.'7 May Allah grant eternal peace to his soul, and to the soul of Mawlana Thanawi, and to all of the true followers of the Prophet Mu}:lammad, his family, and his companions!

YUSUF DELoRENZO

Virginia USA, 2009

16 This term denotes a person who, though he/she may be from another order (in my teacher's case, the Naqshbandi order) has nonetheless been granted permission, mujilz, to instruct aspirants from another order. In other words, Mawlana Thanawi gave his own murids permission to learn ta~awwuf from Mawlana Binnori or, more literally, to benefit from his company, ~u~bat. YTD.

17 I must also record here my gratitude to Yahya Batha of Turath Publishing who urged me to revive the translation of this work, after it had languished in manuscript form since 1975. I am likewise indebted to Mawlana Mohammed Mohamedy who translated the final quarter of this book when it was discovered that the original translation had gone missing. Without the help of these two dedicated indivudals, this important work may never have seen the light of day in the English language. May Allah reward them handsomely in this world and the next. YTD.

.7luthor's Preface-' @

I T IS ESSENTIAL that all Muslims, having seen to the correctness of their beliefs and practice (or outer conduct), also attend to the correctness of their inner conduct. Countless Qur'iinic verses and l:ladiths prove conclusively that this is also essential, though many of those who attend only to externals are heedless of this matter. Certainly, everyone knows that the Qur'iin and the Sunna con-tain mention of the virtues of things such as abstinence, contentment, humility, sincerity, patience, gratitude, love for the Divine, acceptance of fate, trust, and so forth. Indeed, the Muslim is encouraged by these texts to acquire these quali-ties and to avoid their opposites, such as greed, pride, hypocrisy, rancour, lust, jealousy, and so forth. Then, can there possibly remain any doubt as to the com-mand or prohibition of these matters by the ShariCa? This is what is meant by the reformation of inner conduct. This is the primary goal of the Sufi way. It also happens to be an indisputable obligation.

In addition, experience has proved, and indeed it is the way Alliih has approved, that the single most important factor in the process of inner reforma-tion is that of one's companionship with, and service and obedience to, those who have themselves been reformed. Wherever actual companionship is not fea-sible, abstract companionship, even in the form of one's reading the biographies of the great Sufis, can conceivably suffice in its place.'8 This is the secret behind the frequent urgings of the Qur'iin and l:ladiths toward the companionship of the good, and their warnings against the companionship of the wicked. For this reason, too, the stories of Alliih's special servants are repeated throughout the texts of the Qur'iin and the Sunna.

18 I should record here that Mawlana Binnori once told me that in the absence of anything else, one may take the Ka'bah in Makka as one's spiritual guide. YTD.

23


Another fact borne out by experience is that one's companionship of the pious, whether actual or abstract, can only be of benefit when accompanied by conviction and attachment. Otherwise one may spend a lifetime with the best of people and never benefit from their company. Moreover, in the same way that the companionship of refined people is beneficial, the companionship of corrupt people is detrimental.

In our own times, owing to the general lack of knowledge about Islam, and to the predominance of selfish desires, most people never even consider reforming their inner selves. And then, even if they do think of it and seek out the company of a spiritual guide, most of them are barred, owing to imbalances between what they know and what they practise, from making any real progress on the Sufi way. The majority of such people are either too severe or too lax in their approach to Islam. Those who are too severe and narrow-minded often misconstrue the words, deeds, and states of the Sufi masters. Then, having decided for themselves that these things are contrary to the Sunna, the narrow-minded ones shun the Sufi masters and thus remain deprived of their blessings. In fact, it sometimes happens that, owing to their disrespectful and insulting behaviour towards the masters, these narrow-minded people place their well being in serious jeopardy.'9 On the other hand, those who are lax or weak in faith often become the followers of ignorant Sufis who subscribe to false doctrines. Then, without weighing the words, deeds, and states of these Sufi pretenders on the scales of the Shari:'a, they accept everything they tell them. In this manner, when they decide to serve and accompany ignorant sheikhs, they are actually throwing their religion away.

In view of all this, I have felt it necessary to show the reality of the Sufi way in the light of the Qur'an and the Sunna, so that hereafter people will no longer deny the perfections of the true Sufi masters, or become the followers of those who pretend to be masters. It is also my wish to remove the doubts harboured by many of our narrow-minded Muslim brothers, many of whom are even scholars, who suppose the Sufi masters to be degenerate, and their ways contrary to the Shari'a, and who imagine that there is no basis whatsoever for the Sufi way in orthodox Islam. Finally, I hope to remedy the notions of those whose faith is weak, and who suppose impostors to be masters in spite of their breach of the Shari'a. Thus, the difference between truth and falsehood may be rightly meas-ured: in conformance with the standards of the Qur'an and the Sunna. And in all this it is Allah from whom I seek assistance.

ASHRAF 'ALi THANAWI

19 The Prophet. Allah bless him and give him peace. said that Allah most High said. "Whoever causes discomfort to a friend (waif) of Mine. on such a one I declare war."

.Jluthor's 1ntroductiorL

T HE TRUE OBJECTIVE of the "inner way:' as I mentioned in the preface, is the reformation of inner conduct. In the language of the Sufis, this inner conduct is termed akhlaq wa maqamat, or character and stations. Fur-thermore, as every primary objective is attended by related matters of secondary importance, the aforementioned objective of the Sufis is likewise attended by a great number of related matters of secondary importance. Some of these mat-ters, being of the nature of fruits over which we have no control, are called a~wal or states. Those matters that are known to produce these fruits, or at least help in producing them, are called ashghal or practices. Those matters, regardless of whether or not we have control over them, which indicate the presence of those fruits are called Calamat or signs. Matters which aim at erasing doubts, remedy-ing inner infirmities, or explaining methods of practice are called taCllmat or teachings. Matters in the form of textual evidence from the Qur'an and l).adiths which give good tidings to those who possess praiseworthy characters or per-form meritorious deeds are called faga'il or virtues. Matters over which we have control and which are second nature to the Sufis are called Cadat or habits. Mat-ters in the form of advantageous but unnecessary actions that are permitted by the Sharica and performed by the Sufis are called rusum or customs. Those mat-ters which are purely of an academic nature are called masa'il or questions. Mat-ters of a spoken nature are called aqwal or sayings. The explanations of those matters which to all outward appearances seem to transgress the limits of what is permitted by the Sharica, but which in reality do not, are called tawjihat or inter-pretations; and if those matters do actually transgress the limits of the Sharta, then the admonition which is then required is called i~la~ or reform. Those few

25


remaining matters which do not fit under any of the above-mentioned headings may be termed mutafarriqiit or miscellaneous.

Then, to sum up, the list of these primary and secondary matters is as follows: (1) Character, (2) States, (3) Practices, (4) Signs, (5) Teachings, (6) Virtues, (7) Habits, (8) Customs, (9) Questions, (10) Sayings, (11) Interpretations, (12) Cor-rections, (13) Miscellaneous.

As those of the above-mentioned subjects that have been clearly and specifi-cally mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunna are not likely to present any dif-ficulties, there is no need for their repetition here. Satisfactory discussions of those subjects are to be found in all the major works of the Sufis. This book is concerned only with treating those subjects which are not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an or l)adlths and which are, indeed, likely to present difficulties to the average Muslim. Therefore, each l)adith in this collection will be followed by its translation and, under a separate heading, by brief commentary concerning the authentication of the relevant, problematic, ta~awwuf related subject. Though this work does not claim to be comprehensive, it does nonetheless cover many significant subjects. After reading this book, the gifted reader should not have any difficulty in using his/her own powers of reason to come to a proper under-standing of the subjects which are not specifically mentioned in these pages.

Undoubtedly, it would have been proper to arrange the l)adiths in this col-lection in some kind of logical order. However, for my own ease, and for the purpose of keeping the reader's interest alive, I have chosen not to observe any particular sequence. For the reader's convenience, however, each commentary note has been given two headings: (1) a general heading taken from the list of thirteen primary and secondary matters mentioned above; (2) a particular head-ing introducing the subject to be discussed in relation to the l)adith.

ASHRAF (ALi THANAWI

A SUFI STUDY ofHADITH .JI 'Translation of .JIt-Tasharruf and Ifaqiqat at-Tariqa

HADITH 1 '" ,,;, .. 0 ,. IZ" ...... 0,. ,;; 0 ~~I ~ l'~~' ;L;..~' ~'&I ~ . ~ ,-,lk.;.J1 . ,~~ -.:...;~'~' 'UI ~ i ~. u::'~ . ~ ~J ; 0~ ~.~ Y~'-I- ~

,.., J. ,.... /. -;;; .,.., j. -;;; j...... '" t Y-;. ~ l',~'_l ~I~)) ::::\::~ ~'&I I ~-'&I J' ~~ J' . ':JI '~I ~ ~ JG ~. U::-:--J":'?"' ;.J r-.J~ ~ ~ ~ .J-'" J Y 0 -?-Y (f' .

~'~~J~~~J;f~' In the l;adith related on the authority of (Umar ibn al-KhaWib tb con-cerning the arrival of the Angel Jibril ~ and his questions about the fun-damentals of Islam, the Messenger of Allah ift. said, "Of a certainty, he is Jibril descended in the form of Dil;yah al-Kalbi:' This l;adith was related by Nasapo

Questions: Simulation The appearance of an essence in another (or in another's) form, despite the abid-ing of its own prior state and attributes, is termed simulation or tamaththul, while the form itself is called the simulated form. In dreams and in spiritual visions most things appear in simulated form. Occasionally, however, a miracle occurs and simulation takes place in the ordinary waking world. The l;adith above, in which Jibril appears in human form, having assumed the appearance of Dil;yah al-Kalbi, is ample proof of this phenomenon. It should be remembered here that Jibril was not actually transformed into a man.

The occurrence of simulation is also verified in the following verse of the Qur'an: "Then we sent unto her our spirit, and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man:'21 This, in no way, attests to the validity of the erroneous doctrine of the transmigration of souls. In simulation the state of the essence remains exactly as it was, whereas in transmigration this is not the case.

20 Sunan an-Nasa'i: 4994 21 Al-Qur'an,19:17


J:lADITH 2 ..... J.';;:; ;. ..... ,..- ......... 00 ;. 0 ~ 41 J..P 41 J~J Jlj :Jlj ~ 41 ($.?J ~wl ;. J~ ;. 41 ~ ::;

,.., ..,.... / ,..,."'-

(LJ-I ~ y>-i) .((~ 41..;l-lA ~ ~ ~l?JI)) :rL.:; It is related on the authority of (Abdullah ibn (Amr ibn al-(As t!1 that the Messenger of Allah IJi. said: "The true emigrant (muhiijir) is a person who leaves behind everything that Allah has forbidden:' This l;adith was related by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, and Nasai.22

Questions: Meaning as the True Object According to the Sufis, may they enjoy the mercy of Allah ;J~, external form is of no value unless it is accompanied by inner significance. Thus, the true object of our deeds is their inner significance or reality. From the l;adith above it is evident that the person who migrates, the muhiijir, in the outward sense ofleav-ing home to settle elsewhere, but who pays no heed to the inner significance of abandoning all that is contrary to the pleasure of Allah ;J~, cannot be called a true muhiijir. Nonetheless, no one should assume from the l;adith above that externals are without value. The proper way to approach the matter is to realise that Allah has created for every inner meaning a corresponding external form, and that without form the acquisition of inner significance is impossible.

J:lADITH 3

(~ oIJJ) . ((0\d)/1 P !.\I~)) It is related on the authority of (Abdullah ibn Mas(ud t!1 that when the Companions ~ said: "0 Messenger of Allah ~! There are times when we find ourselves thinking of things that, rather than speak of them it would be more desirable to be burned to charcoal, or to plummet to earth from high in the sky", the Messenger ~ replied, "That is precisely what perfect faith is all about:' This l;adith was related by Muslim.2 )

22 Bukhari: 10, 6484; Abu Dawud: 2481; Nasa'i: 4999; Ibn Majah: 3934. Muslim (40,41, 42) has only the beginning portion of the i).adith.

23 Abu Dawud: 5112, Muslim: 133. Muslim's report does not have the question put to the noble Mes-

Mawliinii Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawi 31 Teachings: Disregarding the Shadows of Doubt Among the things which most frustrate the traveller on the Sufi way are one's exaggerated attempts to free one's mind of vague and ill-defined suspicions, or waswasa, and one's feeling sorry for oneself when these attempts prove unsuc-cessful. In accordance with the basic wisdoms conveyed in this l:J.adi:th, Sufi mas-ters treat this problem by first explaining to their disciples that these things are harmless, and then by asking the disciples to ignore such thoughts when they occur. If this is done, then in a very short time the traveller will cease to be trou-bled by waswasa.

J::IADITH 4

r-LJ ~ ~I J;. ~I ~ L5 :Jlj ~ ~I ~j ~~I ~lo ~..Jy (f-lo Ir:W c,.;.;f L1....:J ((~'&I J '~z, 0' d\rh :JW ~ of bl~ of ~ .r J" ~_ . ~ .J""" J ~. . J "~\c"' J ~

I~J' ~ 4~ I)? 'jJ .:&1 IJ 0i~ :Jlj ~.&I J.J"""J~ ~Q ";"l:JI 1}!-J'jJ :Jlj ~ L.1s- 5.:JJ ((\~J d~J .~I 9 pI

yo ~ ~ Y-f- f- J. J. J. ..... F- ..... J. 't 0 /// ":;"-.o41.J~l.:.; IJ..>.I J~ IJ ~0>1 .1";"::' ~..,.A;JI ~JI ~ ~Ij.ill.; ((~


Questions: Balah The type of pledge or balah taken by Sufis, which amounts to an agreement to obey the injunctions of the Shari'a and to faithfully perform certain inward and outward practices, is often made the target of criticism by the narrow-minded. According to these critics, balah is the same as bid'ah or blameworthy innova-tion because there is nothing in the Qur'an or the Sunna to support it. The only kinds of balah that they recognise are the balah of Islam (conversion to Islam from another faith), and the balah of jihad. However, in the }:ladlth above, the type of balah mentioned is spiritual balah because the ones pledging them-selves were Companions. Undoubtedly, then, this was not the balah of Islam. It is also clear from the text that this was not balah of jihad. Rather, in view of the pledge made by these Companions to obey certain injunctions and to perform certain practices, it is obvious that the balah of the Sufis does indeed have its precedent in the Sunna.

Practices: Private Instruction Most Sufi masters are in the habit of taking their disciples aside for private instruction. Sometimes this is done for the purpose of keeping complex mat-ters out of the reach of those who might not appreciate or fathom them, and sometimes because, when special attention is a sign of favour, the disciple will be more likely to take the teachings to heart. Another factor in this kind of private or individualized instruction is that it precludes the possibility of another's over-hearing and then taking it upon himself to follow in practice whatever was dis-cussed, even when that practice is unsuited for his condition or circumstances. Anyway, the basis for all of this is found in the }:ladith above.

Questions: Exaggeration in Carrying Out the Orders of a Master The natural disposition of most disciples is such that they, when it comes to carrying out the orders of their masters, go to such lengths that they pay as much attention to the letter of the master's words as they do to their meaning. This condition is described in the latter part of the }:ladlth above. Obviously, the intended meaning here was to prohibit those Companions from asking for any-thing that belonged to others, and not to prohibit them from asking for their own things. Nonetheless, as the words of the prohibition admitted of a literal meaning, even though the context clearly indicated that the literal meaning was not the intended meaning, the Companions chose not to ask even for their own possessions. In another }:ladith it is related that while the Messenger IJs was giv-ing the Friday khutba, a man came and stood at the doorway of the mosque.

Mawliinii Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawi 33

When the Messenger /J. told the man to sit down, he immediately complied by sitting in the doorway. Of course, what the Messenger /J. meant was that the man should come inside, find a place, and then sit down and listen, not that he should sit right then and there, blocking the entrance to the mosque. The kind of obedience and respect illustrated here, however, is of utmost importance for anyone who hopes to benefit spiritually from a master.

J:lADITH 5 0:;1 .....}o ;;;; ," ,... , ~ ~J ~ 41 .;.;, ~I J.,...,) ~ l.A :-.::.Jlj ~ JL.u.w1 ~) ~~ ~

".... ,." .....

01)) . ~~~~...1.4.9 ~~I)) :Jlj ~t; ~ ~i I~~ ~.1.:.4 0i ~11; i;1 "; ;

(~)b y,i) 0~1 CA'isha ~'" said, "Never once in his life did the Messenger of Allah /J. touch the hand of a woman who was not related to him. He did, however, take ba/ah from them, orally. And when a woman had pledged herself, he would then say to her, 'Go. I have accepted your pledge:" This l.ladith was related by Bukhari, Muslim, and Abu Dawud.25

Corrections: Taking Ba/ah from Women It is the practice of certain ignorant and uncircumspect Sufis to hold the hands of women while formally taking ba/ah from them. This is completely improper, as it is prohibited to touch an unrelated woman unnecessarily. The l.ladith above clearly refutes this practice. Who could be more chaste than the Messenger of Allah /J.? Then, when he was so careful about such matters, how can we possibly allow ourselves to be lax about them? When ba/ah is actually no more than an agreement, the spoken word will certainly suffice. The masters of latter times have made it their practice, for the purpose of strengthening the master-disciple bond, to hold, when taking formal ba/ah, one end of a cloth in their own hands while the female disciple holds the other end. There is really nothing wrong with this practice. Similarly, if it becomes necessary for a man to take ba/ah from a female master, the same method may be used. However, since it is the Sunna for men to offer their hands when taking ba/ah, it is better whenever possible that they do so in that way.

25 Bukhari: 2713, Muslim: 1866, Abu Dawud: 2941, Tirmidhi: 3306, Ibn Majah: 2875

34 A SUFI STUDY OF I:fADITH

I:IADITH 6

I'~ -: yo - yo ; yo , (~jj ol-'j) .~ -:"I~ ~jj :J1.9 01.;.11 0j~ It is related on the authority of Abu Huraira t!. that he went to the mar-ketplace and asked the people there, "Why do I see you here, when the legacy of Muhammad /!t. is being distributed in the mosque?" Hearing this, the people in the marketplace went away. In a short while, however, they returned, saying, "We saw nothing being distributed there. All we saw were a few people reciting the Qur'an:' Abu Huraira t!. replied, "So! There you have the legacy of Muhammad /!t.:' This l)adith was related by Imam Razin.26

Practices: The Use of Equivocal Language In the works of most Sufi masters one can find any number of ambiguous pas-sages which, after one has been made aware of their true meaning, actually begin to make a great deal of sense. At times this kind of veiled language is used invol-untarily when the master is under the influence of some spiritual state, though usually it is used either for the purpose of keeping subtleties beyond the reach of those who might not understand them, or for increasing the desire of the true seeker. This is because vagueness is something that is known to increase desire; and that which has been desired greatly will generally have a greater effect on the inner being. Anyway, that there is a basis for the use of this kind of language is clearly attested to in this l)adith. Here, for the purpose of increasing the people's desire, Abu Huraira t!. was ambiguous to the extent that some people came back and told him that he was mistaken. But when he explained to them the true mean-ing of his words, they realised at once that he had spoken the truth. We should, therefore, never be sceptical about the vague or ambiguous words of the true Sufi masters, and we should certainly never criticise or speak insultingly of them.

I:IADITH 7

26 Mu'jam al-'Awsat of a\-Tabaninl: 7187. Al-Haythaml said in Majma' az-Zawa'id (1:129): 'Its chain is good:

Mawlcmii Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawl 35

~.j ~p :JI.9 .rLJ ~ -:&\ ~.&\ ~.r"J c: ~).-aJ\ o~~\f 0Kt ~ ,..... // ".... fIlS,..... fl.'

:JI.9 ")f\~\~~. ~ ".~II ~\ l;-.i..::. ... ( \~\ .1!0Jl9L:4..l qP J i Y' ~ .... J ~ J' ~ .~ .. J .J'-" Y .. 4.J ~ :JI.9 . :::l.-:,~ ~ -:&\ 1 ~~ ~..::..-.. ," :~ .. ~t ': .. J lA !:&\ ~t . r-J ~.. c..r-- ..... '-:?-'- . ~ J i

J!.o j Jili .~\.?:J :JIi .~~U .~ :'J ~ -:&\ ~ .&\ ~ ~ 4 r ~ ~ ..w ~p :rLJ ~ -:&\ ~ ~\ 4..l JW .j':' \j\ o)r Zj~~;' Jr 4..l j~J .iU~

(~ o\J) . ,:: :

36 A SUFI STUDY OF l;IADiTH , ;/,.... J. ,.... ~ i'"....;z 0~ :Jlj .~ ~l,; :~ ~":"';I U-? :JW ~y'l ~ :Jlj - ~j

;Z 0 .: '1-/J. ':iJ ,;' J. :;; :; 0'" -' ...-/,y. ~I~ L:JL \,;"",j Jl \~11.;c; diA ~ ~'''j ~!~Ij :Jlj \~ }JJI ':t Ji ~~ z,j.t; l; .fo z,yj~ JJ ~~ ~ ~.Jlj)) :Jw ..!.ll~ j

; "" ',.... ',.... J. J.'" J.,.."".... 0, 0"" ".... ~ ((~L::.J ~L::. !~~

Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawl 37 the basis of the differences he found between states of presence and absence, he used the term figuratively. An example of the use of the word "disbeliever" as a special term is its use in place of the word "annihilated" or fani, for the reason that one who is fani has been buried in the love of the Almighty; and one of the meanings of the word for disbelief, kufr, is to cover over or obliterate something. Since l:ian~alah f!. found one state obliterating the other from time to time, he termed himself a hypocrite.

Furthermore, the answer given by the Messenger #}5. was not in refutation of the use of figurative language, but rather of the false premise that the one state was necessarily any better than the other!9

States: Spiritual Witnessing The inner intensification and domination of something in the imagination is called spiritual witnessing or mushahadah. That this actually occurs is attested to in the l).adith above in which l:ian~alah f!. says of the Fire and the Garden, "it is as if we are seeing those things with our own eyes:' The meaning here is not that anyone actually saw the Fire and the Garden, but that in their imaginations the thought grew so intense that it possessed them. Many ignorant Sufis suppose spiritual witnessing to be direct vision, but they are clearly mistaken when they attempt to apply a dictionary meaning to a spiritual state.

Miscellaneous: Barakah from Accompanying a Master In the same way that certain mystical states and conditions follow one's ascetic exertions or spiritual diSciplines, they will also be found sometimes to follow one's being in the company of a master. However, unlike the effect of these exer-cises, the effect of a master's presence or words is not usually long lasting. This was the reason behind l:ian~alah's f!. complaint that, upon leaving the company of the Messenger /J!., he lost much of what he had gained there. Finally, no one should suppose that the reason for l:ian~alah's f!. lapse was his involvement in worldly affairs because, as we have clarified in the commentary above, the real reason for its occurrence was his parting company with the Messenger of Allah /J!..

Questions: The Transient Nature of Spiritual States Most travellers on the Sufi way complain at one time or another that a particular state of theirs has lost its former intensity, or has disappeared altogether. Then,

29 In other words, there is no reason why one's worldly activities cannot be imbued with the same spiritual Significance as an act of prescribed worship, like prayer or fasting. Much of the message of Islam, in fact, is just that. This is what the Messenger (/;. was referring to when he said that there was to be no monasticism in Islam. YTD.

38 A SUFI STUDY OF J:fADITH

thinking that they have suffered some sort of spiritual reverse, the travellers become disheartened and confused. This is especially true among neophytes who are far more susceptible to changes in their condition than more experi-enced travellers. The Sufi masters, however, have established that the ascendancy of spiritual states is at best impermanent. This phenomenon of impermanence is referred to as talwin or variegation, and is something which occurs in vary-ing degrees to even the most experienced Sufis. In this l).adith, the Messenger's IJJ. saying, "There is a time for this and a time for that;' is in direct reference to talwin. This phenomenon is an inevitable part of the Sufi way and, as such, should never become a cause for concern.

I:JADITH 9 _" -' VI / .... 0 J. ,... ,...- ..... ,...- 40 -' ,.:;, ~ :;Jii ~ 1~k9 ,~IIJJ. '&1 J~J J>-~ :Jlj ~ '&1 ~J ~I ~ ,~); ,~)) : Jw:: ~L;.;~ I~~~) j;;. :1;Jli ((~IL. LA)) :Jw ~-:!t..:J1

jl. j:. 0 yo 4 0,.., ", ..... "",,, ,..... y.,. t ~ , (.;L:J1.J ~jl~y'I.J ,-:?J~I ~ ?I) .((~Jj b~ ~~rs';';'l ~ It is related on the authority of 'Anas ~ that Allah's Prophet IJJ. once went into the mosque and saw a rope there stretched between two supports.

"What is this;' he asked. The Companions ~ replied, "This is Zaynab's ~ rope. When she tires at worship, she props herself up with it:' The Messen-ger of Allah IJJ. said, "Take it down. You should only worship for as long as you are fresh. When you tire, you should rest:' This l).adith was related by Bukharl, Abu Dawud, and Nasa1.30

Teachings: Moderation in Spiritual Disciplines The Sufi masters are agreed that no one should go to such extremes in their spiritual disciplines as would adversely affect their health or well being. Clearly, this is the lesson of the l).adlth above. The excesses of certain of the Sufi masters in this matter need not present any difficulties when we realise that, as a result of their sincere desire and love for the Almighty, they were granted the extra strength necessary to perform whatever they did.

I:JADITH 10

30 Bukhari: 1150, Muslim: 784, Abu Dawud: 1312, Nasa'i: 1644, Ibn Miijah: 1371

Mawlana Ashraf 'All Thiinawl 39 :::s ..... Y. ,. ? ..... j.

1.1,)) :JliJ ~ 1~).T.1;J ((~i 1.1,)) :JliJ lk.;. ~~ Jl.1;J ((0l...j)11 ( .L;JI WI,,->-' i) .~ ?!\I1 ~~l;;.11 ..!.UI.1S ?' \..;'?~ (( 1:;\11 ~ J ~J . . ? . .;J ..? J-'" \c"'::":"" U-

It is related on the authority of 'An as t!- that the Messenger of Allah If;. drew a line on the ground and said, "This is man:' Then he drew a line parallel to the first and said, "This is his appointed time:' Then he drew a third line, further than the second, and said, "This is man's wish. So, as man moves toward what he wishes for, he is greeted by the one that is closer to him [his appointed time]. This }:ladith was related by Bukhari and Tirmidhi.l'

Interpretations: The Use of Metaphor to Indicate the Almighty In the writings, and particularly in the poetry, of many Sufi masters words like sun, moon, ocean, and so forth are used to represent the essence and attributes of the Almighty. On the surface of it, at least, this kind of representation is unbe-coming because it equates the Eternal with the ephemeral, and negates the con-cept of Allah's unity or taw~ld. The purpose of this, however, is figurative and not literal representation. There is certainly nothing wrong with the figurative rep-resentation inherent in the comparison of two essentially unlike things. Witness, for example, the Qur'anic simile of the lamp: "The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp:'32 The most one could say here is that the comparison in the }:ladith, unlike the one in the Qur'an, is not made explicit by the use of a word for "like" or "as:' This, however, is something which occurs in all good literatureY In the }:ladith above, Allah's Messenger If;. pointed to the lines he had drawn in the dust and said, "This is man, and this is his appointed time:' and "This is man's wish:' He did not say, "This is like man:' or "This is like his appointed time:' even though that was what he really meant. Undoubtedly, then, the use of metaphori-cal language is perfectly acceptable.

There remain here two matters in need of clarification. The first is an expla-nation of what similarities exist between two essentially unlike things; and the second is an answer to the objection that since the names of the Almighty are self-designated, tawqifi, then where did the Sufi masters get permission to use other, undesignated names?

In brief, the explanation of the first matter is that similarities between the Divine Essence and natural phenomena only seem to be similarities. In actual

31 Bukhari: 6418, Tirmidhi: 2454 32 AI-Qur'an: 24:35 33 This is what marks the difference between a simile and a metaphor; both of which are found

throughout the Qur'an. YTD.

40 A SUFI STUDY OF I;iADITH

fact, they are not. The oneness or unity of Allah ;l~, for example, is real, whereas the oneness of the ocean is only a relative sort of oneness. Likewise, the Almighty is a source in the sense that He is the effective and principal cause, whereas the ocean is only a material and secondary cause. And so forth. Certainly, these are significant differences, but they do not prevent comparison or metaphori-cal representation. For a detailed discussion of this subject, the qualified reader will find nothing better than what Qa

Mawlana Ashraf 'All Thanawi 41 by Tirmidhi, after the words, "or just a passerby;' the following sentence is added: ''And consider yourself to be among the people of the graves:'35

Sayings: Die Before you Die This saying is one that Sufis often repeat, and this l:ladith is the equivalent of its meaning. Therefore, it is not inconceivable that this saying could be a l:ladith in meaning, even though it is not a l:ladith in the technical sense of the word. In fact, the great majority of Sufi sayings believed popularly to be the words of the Mes-senger IJ;. have equivalents, at least in meaning, in the authentic l:ladiths of the Messenger /Jr.. Therefore, to generalise about the Sufis narrating and popularising spurious material in the name of l:ladiths is decidedly unfair and unwarranted.

Character: Contemplation The heartfelt contemplation of a subject, under all conditions or for a limited period of time, where the intention is to begin acting on the requisites of what is being contemplated, is called muraqabah. This is one of the primary objec-tives of inner conduct. In the l:ladith above it is muraqabah that Ibn 'Vmar t! is being urged to practise, because counting oneself among the dead has to do with inner, not outer, conduct. The results of regular muraqabah are a flagging in one's desire for the things of this world, the dwindling away of lust, rancour, and other blameworthy character traits, and an increase in commitment and submission to the will of the Almighty.

J::IADITH 12

Qays ibn Abi Gharazah t! said, "In the time of Allah's Messenger /Jr. we were called brokers. Then the Messenger /Jr. stopped by the marketplace one day and gave us a better name, saying, '0 you merchantsp6 Surely your buying and selling is sometimes attended by gross exaggeration and

35 Bukhari: 6416, Tirmidhi: 2333, Ibn Majah: 4114 36 Note that he called them merchants instead of brokers. YTD.


the swearing of oaths. So, fortify your deals with charity:" This l).adith was related by Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, and NasaiY

Customs: Taking a New Name In many spiritual families it has become common practice for a disciple to take a new name after taking bafah at the hands of a master. The basis for this cus-tom could possibly be derived from the l).adith above in which the Messenger of Allah /J! used the word "merchant" instead of "broker" to address the Muslim traders he was visiting.38

I:IADITH 13

Jp \~P :rJ ~'J ~ ~\ Jp ~\ Jy.j J~ :Jlj ~ ~\ ~j 0.r..f' ~i:r , '-: ,~~ ~ ~~ ~~ :,,', ~-:' '~\-:',;. '~~ : "'.';: '~~I::;' p (.5" ~(\

'\..,aJoo' ~ ~' u~ O\..,aJoo' '. #J ..! ~ u~ ~ ~.J .. ~ , J..>. ,..... ,....,.... .....

F< ,,'t ..... yo -"" ,........- -" ~ ,.... 0 ~ ...- ,.0...-(~L. cr.\.J .)jby'\ o\.J) .~lA\.:;AlA o~~? \.k.>. kk~ It is related on the authority of Abu Huraira ~ that the Messenger of Allah ~ said: "When one of you intends to perform the prayer [out in the open], let him first put something in front of himself, Ifhe can find noth-ing else, then let him put his staff into the ground, If he has no staff, then let him draw a line in front of himself. In that way, nothing that passes in front of him [while he performs prayer 1 will bother him:'39

Practices: Collecting One's Thoughts The state-producing practices prescribed by the Sufi masters all have as their

37 Abu Oawfld: 3326, Tirmidhi: 1208, Nasa'i: 4468, Ibn Majah: 2145 38 Prior to Islam traders were free to transact business in any way that they pleased. Thus, in pursuit

of greater profits, they committed any number of what, after Islam, would be called unlawful practices. So, in view of the traders having taken to new practices after their conversion to Islam, Allah's Messenger gave them a new name as well. However, since the majority of business transactions, in spite of their technical legality, are rarely free of dubious elements, like the swearing off frivolous oaths, merchants are urged to regularly give a portion of their earnings in charity. This is only one of many examples from the ~adith in which Muslims are urged to exercise caution in their worldly affairs, especially where finances are concerned. YTD.

39 Abu Oawfld: 689. Al-Mundhiri reported from Sufyan ibn 'Uyayna, who said: 'We have not found anything that would corroborate this report and it has not been narrated but through this chain: When-ever Isma'il ibn Umayyah reported this ~adith, he would ask: 'Do you have anything that corroborates this?' Imam ash-Shafi'i has also alluded to the weakness of this report. Imam Bayhaqi said: 'This [weak-ness 1 does not matter in establishing this ruling:

Mawliinii Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawi 43

object the creation, after dispelling any inner confusion, of a certain presence of mind or oneness of concentration which, once it has become second nature, will greatly facilitate the matter of directing one's attention exclusively to Allah ;!~. Obviously, however, as the One to be contemplated is himself Unseen, and as the beginner is rarely able to clear his/her mind of outside thoughts, it takes a great deal of practice before this presence of mind can become second nature. At any rate, the disciplines of the Sufis are basically methods for acquiring this second nature. The I).adith above might be the source from which all of this (knowledge) was derived, because the scholars, such as Ibn Humam in his commentary on the Hidiiyah, have written that among other things, the wisdom behind sutrah (putting something in front of oneself when performing prayer in the open) is that it allows one to collect one's thoughts and dispels confusion.

I:IADITH 14

l~b'&l 0p :~ :'J ~:tl j.p'&l J"""'J JlJ :JlJ ~:tl ~J ~.r.~ ':?\:.r-,.,,, ..... J.' ",' ", ....-,.... ",..- ~/ ~,... ,." {"" ,............."., ...... -;:> '" ;:

,. , ~l:S.'. 1\;' ~ :JlJ ~19 L;')\j ~I '"I :JW I'~;' ~~ I~-':";'I Y)~; . ('"' u.:'~ .;. '; . ; y; u.:'~ '. ,. tJJ.o ,.... '" ,,' ..... ;';: ... -' 4....... "- -" ~,...? .... , ,.;. ;;; ,., ,..... "..-

,. J'7:11 ~ 7 ~ '7~, .,X" II I~I ~ .~'. 19 L;')\j J.&I 01 :J'.;' ... pl y; Y:"'"' t:' Y. ('"' ; ~ u .;..r.; . ;" ; Y-::'; "01 ;:,'11' '" ~ ;. t... ,,....... '" ......"., ? / ;: ..... ~ ~19 L;')\j . "1 '':'1 :J'.;' ~~I ~ I'~;' ~~ I~ ~ "1 I~I; . ''11 ;' ~ Y; Y-::' i ;. u.:'~ . ~ bJ qPJ ?,..." ,. G ,;; ,..... 0;: "...." ....... " """" /,....' ,,;. d/ / ...... L;')\j .. '7 '&1 01 ... pl 1",1 ,. '~l:S.' ~':>WI ~ ~;' ~ :JlJ ~ ;; ':T y; '-?; . ('"' i ;. .~ ; ..

~ 0 0 d / Q 11.' " ;. 0...... ......,.... d ;. ;:,.... C\~ol ).(( "'j1"~~14J7 ~'d.~' .. '7:JlJ~' "'19 r-.JJ qPJ y; . t:'Y.('"' ~ ~

It is related on the authority of Abu Huraira /l>.. that the Messenger of Allah /l>.. said: "When Allah loves someone, He calls Jibril ~ and says, 'I love so and so. Now, you love him too: Then Jibril, too, loves that person, and calls out to the inhabitants of the heavens, 'Allah ;J~ loves so and so. Now, you love him too: So the inhabitants of the heavens come to love that person as well, and the person is accepted all over the earth. When Allah ;l~ despises someone, He calls Jibril and says, 'I despise so and so. Now, you despise him too: Then Jibril, too, despises that person, and calls out to the inhabitants of the heavens, 'Allah ;!~ despises so and so, now you despise him too: So the inhabitants of the heavens despise him too, and that person becomes despicable in the eyes of people all over the earth:' This I).adith was related by Muslim.40

40 Muslim: 2637

44 A SUFI STUDY OF I;fADITH

Signs: Acceptance and Rejection In the l).adith above the wali or true spiritual master is distinguished from the non-wall. One should be careful to heed this distinction in one's search for a spiritual guide, and remember always to avoid a guide who is not a true wall. When, for no obvious reason, the hearts of many good and decent people are inclined toward a certain person, it is generally a sign that the person has been accepted by the Almighty. Similarly, when for no obvious reason decent people find themselves ill-disposed toward a certain person, it is generally a sign that the person has not been accepted by the Almighty. Of course, if people accept or reject a person on the basis of family ties, wealth, position, or hearsay, then this has nothing to do with that person's standing with the Almighty. Finally, it should be remembered that the inclination or disinclination of people in whom there exist inner infirmities or corruption cannot be considered a valid indicator of anyone's acceptance or rejection by the Almighty.

J:IADITH 15

~ -:'J ~ ~\ J.;, ~\ J~j ~ :JLi ~ ~\ ~j ~ .:y, ~~ (f' ?

o 0... 0 "., 0 ,.... '" J. J. ". -:' \:-::-'l( ~~\/ ". ~'/~ '.0/ U /)) 'Jt;S 4\ Jli 'J'./ y/ 0'-?-~ r-.J //' .J y/ ~ / ~ ~.J . . ~

k.llLA 0\.J) '((~/~~~\J It is related on the authority of Mucadh ibn Jabal!JJ.. that he heard the Mes-senger of Allah IJr. say: '~llah ;J'tiJ!. said, 'Those may be assured of My love who love one another for My sake, who sit with one another for My sake, who visit one another for My sake, and who spend on one another for My sake:" This l).adith was related by MalikY

Virtues: The Sufis In the good tidings of this l).adith, reference is clearly made to the virtues of the true Sufis, because the attributes mentioned in the l).adith are among the chief attributes of the Sufis. For example, the love between a master and his dis-ciple, the affection between fellow disciples, the respect shown by all Sufis for masters other than their own, their generosity in dealing with one another, and their undertaking lengthy journeys for the purpose of visiting one another; all of these things they do for the sake of Allah, without the slightest trace of worldly motivation.

41 Muwatta'Malik: 1710

Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawl 45

J:lADITH 16

(. 4.>- i) "''&1


it would enable him to give so much in charity every day from his earnings there, was of the same school of thought as our master. Is it possible that a companion of the Prophet IJ. was guilty of the practice of monasticism or of deliberately preferring not to perform an act of worship? The secret behind all of this is that through an excess of worldly ties an element of confusion is introduced into the state of communion with the Almighty. When Abu Darda ;;!. said, "And it is certainly not my place to prohibit what Allah has legalised:' he made it clear that he would have no part in monasticism. When he said, "I just do not like the idea of not being among those described by the Almighty as, ' ... people whom neither commerce nor sale divert from the remembrance of Allah !}/j;;.:" he revealed the secret. His interpretation of the Qur'anic verse is one which took into account the simple fact that most people are unable to transact business while remaining, at the same time, constant in their remembrance of the Almighty.43

The following verse of Persian poetry nicely illustrates the point that Abii Darda had in mind:

The words that interrupt you when communing with Your friend, what matter if of faith, or disbelief!

Or that which screens you from your friend when you would meet, What good if it appears a lovely sight or not?

J:lADITH 17 "... ,... /,..... 1;1,. ,... ,..-// 1;1 J. / '" ,,0 J. Jlt~.wk.";.,t;La; I::~I\ ',~w 1:'--':":';';' "~'&I'" l>. .

. , , ~ ~ ".''-{-r' _., y, ~)f. . (f -,oJ. ..... ? ,..... " ",.. / t 1;1 t ",.. -;; "",. z;; J. :~ L11~ ~:;I) ((~;~J 0~ qJI I :~J\} ~J ~'&I ~ ~I Jr.)

J;i ~J;.i ~i J! Q ~ ~, ~l5j ~ ~'J ~ ~I ~ ~I ~r.) ;:;~~ .)~ill 'j (~ 01))) . ~;;JI f Y. rill I

Jabir ;;!., in a lengthy narration of how he sold his camel, said, "When I arrived at Madina, the Messenger of Allah IJ. said to Bilal ;;!., 'Give him (Jabir) a measure of gold (in payment for the camel), and add a little extra: So he gave me a whole carat extra. Then I said to myself, 'Never will I part with this extra carat of gold from the Messenger of Allah IJ.!' Thereafter, it remained with me always, in a leather pouch, until it was taken from me

43 Otherwise, the other well know interpretation of this verse, that of Ibn 'Abbas, takes into account the fact that the first Muslims were both the best of traders and the best of people in their remembrance of Allah. YTD.

Mawlana Ashraf 'Ali Thanawl 47 (forcibly) by the Syrians at the battle of l;Iarrah:' This l:J.adith was related by Muslim.44

Practices: Holding Keepsakes It is the practice of most Sufis to keep something that belongs (or belonged) to their masters as a memento. This is something that is done purely out oflove for the master. The precedent for this practice is clearly related in the l:J.adith above.

HADITH 18 ;:;;: ,....,;:;;: yo ,.....,;',..... ........ 0 yo o~ :~) ~'&I J..P fill J.pJ JlJ :JlJ ~'&I ~J ~~I'!"u~.:r. J y (f

o ,,.., ..... 0 _ ,9~ ., ,.... '" :; '" " ".,,~ A ~ ul~ ~-,j ~ ~I ol;l.~~.~li ~ ~ W;;~ Ji:>JI ~~ 01;1) Gill pi ,..... ,.....

( .:l b iol.>- i)((I'~t.;'fl'!\s :/ t;t.;8 I;:.\~/;;,: //;..J~/ J Yo .? Y J Y.~.if' . ~.J It is related on the authority of cA wf ibn Malik that the Messenger of Allah ~ said: "I and a woman with parched cheeks [one who has had to toil and suffer] will be like these two [Le. as close as the index finger is to the mid-dle finger] on the Day of Judgment; a woman whose husband died and left her a widow, a woman who, despite social pressures and her own beauty, refused to remarry for the sake of her children [in order to devote herself to them more completely], until finally they grew up and set out on their own, or died:' This l:J.adith was related by Abii Dawud.45

Practices: Choosing to Remain Unmarried In order to keep their worldly ties to a minimum, or in order to avoid any kind of real or imagined interference in their relationship with the Almighty, some Sufis never marry. As a result, certain narrow-minded individuals have accused the Sufis of not adhering to the Sunna or way of the Prophet ~. In the above l:J.adith, not only do we find permission for remaining single, we also find that wherever there is a possibility of a child's being neglected, it is better to abstain from mar-riage. This is, of course, on the condition that one's practice of Islam will not be adversely affected. So, when the possibility that a child will be neglected is a legitimate excuse for not marrying, what then of the possibility that Allah ;l~ will be neglected?

44 Muslim: 715, 1599 45 Abo Dawod: 5149. Al-Mundhirj said: 'In its chain, there is Abo 'I-KhaHab an-Nahhas ibn Qahm al-Ba~rj and his hadfths cannot be argued from.'


J:IADITH 19 ,. Y. ~~ J ~ 0-! ~ ~I.y-

.. .... "" ,... .. ,.... ""

~ 0:1"",,""'" r::s ,...,.... ,.... ,.... """ .... G I) 'iiI,..- OI. Q ;' ,....,.... ",," ~ y:.1) .~~~.g ~ 0lS' I~p 4.i ~ f ~I ~ 0P ,~J.:,:. :J19 ~ ~l1SJ1 ~~ ~/ (0~1

In a lengthy narration, Al).naf ibn Qays said, "I said to Abii Dharr ~, 'What do you say about these [monthly or yearly sums granted by rulers as] gifts?' He replied, 'Take them. For nowadays you will find succour in them. But if ever these should become the price of your faith, then drop them:" This l).adith was related by Bukhari and Muslim.46

Practices: Accepting Gifts from the Wealthy In general, it has been the practice of Sufi masters to accept gifts and stipends. The benefits of their doing so are peace of mind and freedom from having to concern themselves with things that might distract them from their real work. The l).adith above is explicit in its giving permission for this practice. However, if the patron has some reason other than sincere love for the master, and actually wants to give money in payment for something he wants from the master, then, under those circumstances, his gifts may not be accepted. Similarly, if the gift is tainted with illegitimate earnings, such as would bring detriment to the name of Islam, then the gift may surely not be accepted. As a general rule, then, a gift may be accepted only when it comes unaccompanied by anything contrary to Islamic teachings.

J:IADITH 20 ,....,.;;;,. // " ;. " ~ 41 ~ 41 J";':'j U. ~ :J19 ~ 41 ~j ~wl J. Jrs- 0-! 41 ~.y-

,.... .. ,.... ..,...,....

.. .. l ~ ,. ";.",, / "" ,.... // III -' "" ,. ;' l A ';;i ~I..I.:zjt;. :..::....lli ((~41~ \S IlA~ :JW, . ~ lhlt;. ~I t.;1/ :: 1::'/ / / / . . ~ ~ / . J r-J

~ y:.i) . ((J.1d~ ~ ~f ~!;"lI(.5)~ :9J~~) ((J.1d~ ~ t;.:f ~ "ll :Jw (~J -,?.L;JIJ ~Jby'i

'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al- 'As said, "The Messenger of Allah IJ. passed me by as I was plastering the wall of a hut, and remarked, '0 'Abdullah! What

46 This \:ladlth could not be found in Bukhari with these words. Muslim: 1657

Mawliinii Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawl 49 is this?' I replied, 'Just a wall that needs repairing: Then he said to me, 'The matter of death is even simpler than that:" In another version of the same l,1adith, the Prophet IJ. says, "I see the matter of death as something even closer than that [wall]:' This l,1adith was related by Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi.47

Practices: Exaggeration in Severing Worldly Ties This practice has already been discussed in the commentary ofl,1adith [16]. Obvi-ously, the l,1adith above refers to the same practice.

HADITH 21

.J) rL" ~:t\ J.;, ~\ S;":'j J~ ~:t\ ~j ~ \r '.;y'1\ .;.,);l\ \r ,~~II o/~< /\:::. ~b 'r ,~I-1:'I\ S ~/ ~/'l)) < I:'L ~.b- ~ 0T'~I\ 4\' ,a.; J' /r' If' ~ .) Ie""'"' / ~ (.j..r _. / ~ / r /. /

.. 1.....:.. p""

-i) .~J..J..\ ((~~ :s.,!!;::;'l" . .

It is related on the authority of 'Ali f;!. that the Messenger of Allah IJ. said [among other things in a lengthy l,1adith], " ... and the learned will never have their fill of it; and even though it be read and reread, over and over again, it will never seem old, and its wonders will never cease:' This l,1adith was related by Tirmidhi. 48

States: Spiritual Knowledge When, through constant remembrance, dhikr, and other spiritual practices and disciplines, the darkness of the self and other impurities are dispelled, the heart and soul of the Sufi will enter into a special relationship with the Almighty, so that certain spiritual subtleties and knowledge will be bestowed upon the Sufi from within, as it were, bypassing the usual mediums oflearning and study. That this is something which actually occurs is attested to in the l,1adith above. This is because ordinary, recorded knowledge is limited in scope-once it is digested, that is the end of it, whereas spiritual knowledge is unlimited and, more often than not, impossible to digest.

47 Abu Dawud: 5235, Tirmidhi: 2335, Ibn Majah: 4160 48 Tirmidhi: 2906. He said: 'This is a strange J:tadith; we do not know it but through the report of

!:Iamzah az-Zayyat. And his chain in unknown and there is a doubt in the J:tadith of!:Iarith:

50 A SUFI STUDY OF 1;IADiTH

HADITH 22

~;r ~ e:';'\ \; :J~ ~ ;,j ~ 4\ J;, ~\ J;":'j ~I~ 4\ ~j 'Of-/' ',?i.:r J. ,... 0""" -;; J. J. ..... '0 y.;. 25::..:J\ ~ /l~ .:J~-;'Jf\ 0 ':0; ~o ~ ;\.:2'; .lil\ C-::S 0 o.I'-:-J~.lil\ U 0 : ~

'; r;.:- f; ~ y"" J .J; .; y-'.. ;; ~ ~ ,,:;.

(~jby'i ~ ..,.>-i) .~~ ~.lil\ ~J~j .;S~Y\J\ r~:~;'j .t.:,\ r~~ :~j It is related on the authority of AbU Huraira t!. that Allah's Prophet If;. said,

"Never will a group of people gather in a house from among the houses of Allah for the recitation of Allah's Book, or to study it among them-selves, except that a state of spiritual tranquility, sakina, will descend upon them, and they are overcome by Divine Mercy, and they are surrounded by angels, and they are mentioned by Allah as being among those closest to Him:' This l;1adlth was related by Abu Dawiid.49

Practices: Group Remembrance The gathering together of a number of Sufis for the purpose of remembrance, dhikr, illuminating their inner beings, enhancing their animation, increasing their determination, and warding off inertia is called group remembrance. The precedent for this practice, along with an indication of its positive spiritual ben-efits, is to be found in the l;1adlth above.

Customs: Spiritual Retreats Since the Companions of the Prophet If;. and the Followers .~ had their inner beings enlightened through proximity to the Messenger of Allah 1Js, so that they had acquired the ability to maintain states of constant remembrance, they were in no need of seclusion for the purpose of developing this ability. Later on, however, owing to changed conditions, the custom of building retreats became widespread among the Sufi masters, and with good reason. In the l;1adlth above, the words, "houses of Allah" are usually interpreted to mean mosques. However, since the phrase is figurative, it may be assumed that it refers to the general and not only to the particular. Secondly, when the mosque and retreat are established for more or less the same purposes, they may all be said to share in the descrip-tion "houses of Allah:' Therefore, in this wise, the l;1adlth may be cited as a prec-edent for the custom of building retreats.

States: The Inner Condition of Tranquility Experience has shown that, as a result of one's involvement in constant remem-

49 Abu Dawud: 1455

Mawlana Ashraf 'All Thanawi 51 brance, a certain strange yet pleasant state comes over the heart and, with con-tinued involvement, will grow stronger and more permanent. In the terminology of the Sufis, this is called nisba or affinity. In the 1;adith above, the word sakina is used to denote the same phenomenon.

J::IADITH 23 y. yo ,;; ,..- y.';; ,. ,..-,..,,, ,... 00 yo ... Q Y.


J::IADITH 24 0,..... ;;; __ y, -; j ..-' ./

~wl)) :~3 ~ '&1 J.P fOl JYJ J~ :-.::.J~ ~ JL..u .wI ~ )~\s. .:r ;j ~G ~ /'/ W ,~'~// ;)T'~\I \/:/' 111/ ,0///11 1/('\1 0

Mawliinii Ashraf 'Ali Thiinawl 53 ..... ~ ;: .... ~ ,..,. .: ;: .......... ,.... " ,,.... ~ ;;;~ '0,...,.... ,..-~'&I ~ ~I ~.:.;.>,;. ;; , I W!. 'L.;:WI J~I ~ 4.1h.l1 ~ I~lj .... pl

;. .;;; ~ ~ .;;; ;: ; ,....,..- I),.... ",... 0".. I) .... //...... '" ,.... ,..-,. ".....;:"... // .;;;; ~J ~~..:..,;:; ~')WI~ :Jw .~ :JLt ((~!JI~L; ~~~JI :Jw ~J

~ ,0 ///,.;;;; 0"'" "J."" 1:1 ~ ..... ;:,.... (~Jl>...:JI ~ y>-I) . ((~ LS)~ ~ ..,..L:JI ~l~ ~ ~ .:...I} It is related on the authority of Usayd ibn I:Iugayr ~ that as he was reciting one night from the second chapter of the Qur'an, near where he had teth-ered his horse for the night, the horse suddenly sprang up [apparently for no reason]. 'Usayd ~ then stopped his recitation, and the horse grew still. When 'Usayd ~ began reciting again, the horse sprang up another time. So he stopped, and the horse grew quiet. Usayd ~ again began to recite, and again the horse sprang up. Then, since his son, Yal;ya~, was sleeping nearby the horse, 'Usayd ~ got up and moved him away. It was then that he happened to raise his head up to the sky when, 10 and behold, he saw something like a cloud with lamps lit up inside of it. In the morning 'Usayd ~ related all this to the Messenger of Allah 1Js, who said, "Do you know what that was?" "No;' Usayd ~ replied. The Messenger IJs said, "Those were angels approaching at the sound of your recitation. If you had contin-ued reciting, the people would have risen this morning and seen them, and they would not have been invisible!" This 1).adith was related by Bukhari.54

Questions: The Possibility of Angels Revealing Themselves to other than a Prophet According to the scholars of Islam, not only is it possible for the masters to see the angels, it is also possible for them to converse with the angels. Nor, they add, is this merely a matter of speculation, as such things have actually occurred. The 1).adith above is an unambiguous account of one such occurrence. In another 1).adith, related by Muslim, an incident is recorded in which the angels greeted 'Imran ibn I:Iu~ayn~.

Questions: The Possibility of Being Unable to Interpret One's Own Visions Another point to be derived from the 1).adith above is that it often happens that Sufis who have spiritual visions, kashf, are incapable of penetrating to the true meaning of those visions. In the 1).adith above, 'Usayd ~ actually saw the angels, but was nonetheless unaware that what he had seen were truly angels. Sufi scholars have written that the person who has taken this point to heart will never again rely on his/her own opinion or intellect in the matter of interpreting visions. Indeed, such a person will avoid making many mistakes.55

54 Bukhiirj: 5018 55 In other words, all such visions should be discussed with someone with greater experience. YTD.

54 A SUFI STUDY OF J:IADITH

HADITH 26

! j:~ .. l1 G1L;)) :~ ;,; ~41 1;~ .&IJ' -'; J~ :J~~41 ; .; -........S. '~;i.; ~; . - J ;_ (j""'"' ; Y'"" J ~J. 1/ ':? rY' ,#.-' ''::;'1 .: ~ 'I ;-' \11 dJl ~ .&I~ :~ ~ ((~~f .iJ:~'&1 ....... 8 ~ ;;1'; I' .:tI ~i J::"'"' ~ Y' ;; r ; ; ; -r,- '-? '-?~

(.;)jby,iJ rL- ~ ?i) .((~~::jl L(I ~~I.iJ::~.::l)) :J~.J ~~J..;p.); ~ ~ It is related on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka'b ~, that the Messenger of Allah IJ5. once said to him, "0 Abii Mundhir! Do you know which verse of Allah's Book is the greatest you have before you?" 'Ubayy ~ replied, ''Allah, there is no god but He, the Living, the Eternal:'56 Then the Prophet IJI. struck Ubayy on the chest and said, "May this knowledge be a blessing to you, 0 Abu Mundhir!" This 1).adith was related by Muslim and Abu Dawiid.57

States: Spiritual Knowledge While this subject was discussed in the commentary on I:Iadith 21, in the 1).adith above we find further confirmation of this phenomenon, as the naming of that particular verse as the greatest in the entire Qur'an came about through divine inspiration. Furthermore, in the Prophet's congratulations to 'Ubayy ~, there is an obvious reference to the merit of that knowledge. 58

Note: In this 1).adith the Ayat al-Kursi59 is called the greatest verse in the Book of Allah on the basis of the blessings to be had from its recitation. Many different chapters and verses of the Qur'an have been mentioned in the 1).adith literature as possessing blessings of one sort or another. That the blessings of some verses are greater than those of others is true only in consideration of the different aspects of each verse or chapter; otherwise every verse of the Qur'an is equal when you consider that each is the word of the Almighty, inimitable and miraculous. Thus, there is no reason to suppose that the various 1).adiths which have come to us con-cerning the

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